Basel: observed built density
Municipality in the canton of Basel-Stadt · FSO no. 2701 · Parcel data as of July 2025
- Parcels
- 16’860
75 % of the canton
- Municipal zones
- 39
- Median utilization
- 107 %
Canton: 99 %
Switzerland: 10 %
- Median GFZ
- 1.84
Canton: 1.35
Switzerland: 0.09
- Median height
- 16.1 m
Canton: 14.6 m
Switzerland: 9.5 m
- Median floors
- 3.7
Canton: 3.3
Switzerland: 2.3
About Basel
Basel is a municipality in the canton of Basel-Stadt. The parcel data lists 16’860 parcels in 39 municipal zone types. The zone types with the most parcels are Schonzone ohne Arbeitsgeschoss (1’707), Zone 2A ohne Arbeitsgeschoss (1’688) and Schutzzone ohne Arbeitsgeschoss (1’557).
The median parcel is built to a volume utilization of 107 %; half of the parcels lie between 77 % and 147 %. The canton median is 99 %, close to the level of Basel.
The median building height is 16.1 m at 3.7 floors, and the median floor-area ratio (GFZ) is 1.84. Parcels built in the last 20 years reach a mean volume utilization of 115 % (571 parcels), lower than the 141 % across all building years.
Parcels by municipal zone
| Zone | Parcels | Median utilization |
|---|---|---|
| Schonzone ohne Arbeitsgeschoss | 1’707 | 116 % |
| Zone 2A ohne Arbeitsgeschoss | 1’688 | 81 % |
| Schutzzone ohne Arbeitsgeschoss | 1’557 | 367 % |
| Zone 5A mit Arbeitsgeschoss | 1’485 | 107 % |
| Zone 2 ohne Arbeitsgeschoss | 1’418 | 103 % |
| Zone 4 ohne Arbeitsgeschoss | 1’143 | 96 % |
| Zone 4 mit Arbeitsgeschoss | 1’051 | 109 % |
| Schutzzone Innenstadt | 1’005 | 132 % |
| Zone 3 ohne Arbeitsgeschoss | 970 | 77 % |
| Schonzone mit Arbeitsgeschoss | 903 | 119 % |
| Zone 5A ohne Arbeitsgeschoss | 819 | 97 % |
| Schutzzone mit Arbeitsgeschoss | 769 | 148 % |
| Other zones (27) | 2’345 | - |
Volume utilization (ratioV)
Of the 16’743 parcels with a value, half lie between 77 % and 147 %. The median is 107 % and the mean 138 %.
Share of parcels by range
- below 50 %9 %
- 50 % to below 100 %35 %
- 100 % to below 150 %32 %
- 150 % and above24 %
Floor-area ratio (GFZ)
Of the 16’743 parcels with a value, half lie between 1.05 and 2.87. The median is 1.84 and the mean 2.08.
Share of parcels by range
- below 0.508 %
- 0.50 to below 1.0016 %
- 1.00 to below 1.5017 %
- 1.50 and above60 %
Building height
Of the 16’030 parcels with a value, half lie between 12.5 m and 19.4 m. The median is 16.1 m and the mean 16.1 m.
Share of parcels by range
- below 8 m3 %
- 8 m to below 12 m18 %
- 12 m to below 20 m60 %
- 20 m and above20 %
Number of floors
Of the 15’668 parcels with a value, half lie between 2.8 and 5.1. The median is 3.7 and the mean 3.9.
Share of parcels by range
- below 27 %
- 2 to below 310 %
- 3 to below 546 %
- 5 and above37 %
Building age cohorts
Mean volume utilization of the parcels built inside each window, from all years on record down to the last five. The windows overlap: the last 20 years include the last 5.
| Built in | Parcels | Mean utilization |
|---|---|---|
| All years | 16’860 | 141 % |
| Last 60 years | 2’762 | 128 % |
| Last 40 years | 1’194 | 110 % |
| Last 20 years | 571 | 115 % |
| Last 15 years | 419 | 121 % |
| Last 10 years | 299 | 121 % |
| Last 5 years | 125 | 127 % |
How to read this page
room shows observed built density: what has been built on the parcels, not what the zoning permits. Volume utilization (ratioV) compares the built volume of a parcel with the reference volume of its municipal zone type. The floor-area ratio (GFZ) is floor area divided by parcel area; building height and number of floors are taken from the buildings on a parcel. Figures pool all municipal zones of the area. Medians and quartiles are read from bins 10 points (ratioV), 0.1 (GFZ), 2 m (height) and 1 floor wide, so they are exact to within one bin; means are exact. A parcel counts in a distribution only when the parcel data has a value for it. The floors distribution leaves out parcels without a building (0 floors).